Privacy regulators from across the EU should join together to investigate allegations that London-based firm Cambridge Analytica illegally analysed millions of Facebook users’ data, the EU’s top data protection watchdog has said.

European privacy watchdogs gave a damning verdict of the Privacy Shield, the draft deal for data transfers from the EU to the US, and warned the European Commission to shore up gaps in the new agreement on national security agencies.

Data protection watchdogs from around the EU have reassured companies that they can continue transferring personal data to the US under alternative legal means—at least for the time being while the EU nails down details on its new 'privacy shield'.

Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova told MEPs yesterday (1 February) that one day past the deadline given by EU privacy watchdogs, the European Commission still hasn't struck a new Safe Harbour data sharing agreement with the US.

The European tech industry is firing back against German data privacy chiefs, who announced this week that they would suspend data transfers to the United States and suggested businesses operating in Europe store data only in EU member states.

Justice and home affairs ministers today (9 October) reached an agreement on the EU data protection directive in a meeting in Luxembourg. The directive will frame how law enforcement agencies in Europe share personal data across borders but negotiations with the European Parliament will be hard-fought.

A majority of MEPs has asked the Commission to extend the European system of geographical indications to artisanal products to Bohemian Crystal. This protection currently only exists for food products. EURACTIV France reports.

United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said during a visit to Brussels on Thursday (23 July) that European leaders need to do more to promote the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

European negotiators are still waiting for the US to budge on intelligence services' use of personal data before there can be a breakthrough on the Safe Harbour agreement, EU Justice Commissioner V?ra Jourová said last week (28 May).